Preview

Deterrence: An Effective Strategy During The Cold War

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
223 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Deterrence: An Effective Strategy During The Cold War
Deterrence was an effective strategy during the Cold War because it prevented both nations from exerting military force on the other. Despite being a very large cause of tension, without it, the destruction and overtaking of each nation may have been imminent. A firm offensive stand from both enemies, displayed the ultimate prowess of the respective nations, and as a result, no actual armed conflict would be taken against the nations due to the fear of extreme retaliation.
Brinkmanship was also an effective strategy as it resulted in peaceful negotiation and agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union. Furthermore, it diffused much tension between the nations by ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. Without brinkmanship during the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Eisenhower's Use Of Brinkmanship In The Korean War
    • 133 Words
    • 1 Page

    Eisenhower's Use Of Brinkmanship In The Korean War

    The term "massive retaliation" was a term used to describe a policy. This policy enabled Eisenhower to cut the budget of military spending from a large 50 billion to a drastic change of 34 billion. The term "brinkmanship" was used to say the willingness to go to brink of war to force the other side to back down and argued that it was far to dangerous. Eisenhower used these concepts to help end the Korean War because he had in mind that with less of a military budget that there would be less supplies to carry on a war for much longer. He used brinkmanship to help end the Korean War by trying to get the opponents to back down from the war so that end result there would be no Korean War.…

    • 133 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Richard Nixon and Detente Essay Example
    • 1080 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Richard Nixon and Detente Essay Example

    After the Second World War, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as superpowers and subsequently a period of tension and hostility arose, known as the Cold War. During this time, a new possibility of complete nuclear destruction that would claim the lives of many emerged, therefore “the easing or relaxing of tensions” on both sides was needed, this period would be known as detente. Both countries had been guaranteed mutually assured destruction as they had both managed to stay ahead in the development of nuclear arsenals. By the late 1960s the Soviets had surpassed the United States in intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) by 1,300 to 1,054. Although the U.S was still ahead in various categories, it no longer enjoyed the immense nuclear advantage as before. However, neither side was prepared for the risk of a full scale war. Apart from the possibility of a disastrous nuclear war, factors in both the U.S and the Soviet Union also motivated the need for a relaxation of tensions.Both countries were in severe economic crisis due to the arms race and needed to diverge the funds to rebuild the economy. In the United States public opinion in America indicated that the Cold War was 'unjustifiable both economically and morally' due to the ongoing war in Vietnam. All these factors would eventually lead to the establishment of detente.…

    • 1080 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Eisenhower's Response To The American War
    • 128 Words
    • 1 Page

    Eisenhower's Response To The American War

    the reasoning behind massive retaliation and brinkmanship was to keep the soviet union from setting up communist governments within developing countries and it was also used to keep the soviet union from expanding their control into other countries. Eisenhower used these methods to threaten the soviet union whenever they were trying to get more land and setup more communist governments. Eisenhower used these methods in the Korean war to scare the north Koreans into stopping the fight and it worked because at that time the U.S was the only country that had the atomic bomb and the Koreans knew that the U.S used them before and they were scared so they stopped fighting and setup an agreement between the north and the south and created the demilitarized…

    • 128 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Jfk Saved The Day Analysis
    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Jfk Saved The Day Analysis

    President John F. Kennedy was faced with tough decisions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Many of his advisors advocated a military assault on Cuba. With the power of hindsight, we now know that any type of invasion would have led to Cubans retaliating with ready short range nuclear weapons. The theory of brinksmanship and MAD (mutually assured destruction) did not seem to discourage or dissuade the Cubans, particularly Castro. JFK's decision to merely blockade Cuba and seek diplomatic solutions with the USSR proved successful and minimized risk of danger, thus it was the best choice of action.…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Reagan Administration's Foreign Policy During The Cold War
    • 392 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Reagan Administration's Foreign Policy During The Cold War

    The Cold War took off after the end of the Second World War when the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the two global dominant superpowers each grasping ideologies that were dichotomous from each other. This adverse relationship continued for half a century and the clash of two distinct and differing political ideologies of communism and capitalism saw no clear conclusion or victory for either side. The tense atmosphere resonated not only in the United States and the Soviet Union, but also around the world and into space. For most of the fifty years of the cold war, the ideological struggle and the many indirect physical conflicts between the West and the Soviet Union were in a deadlock with no visible success of either side. However,…

    • 392 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Geopolitical Containment During The Cold War
    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Geopolitical Containment During The Cold War

    For more than two centuries, Russia and the United States have shared a diplomatic relationship. Whether that involved trading or the military. Foreign relations between the former Soviet Union and the United States were driven by a complex set of ideologies, political agendas, and economic factors, which led to the superpower rivalry that has been on display over the past two-hundred years. Presidents from both nations have been involved, from President Ronald Reagan to most recently, President Barack Obama. For Russia, the most well-known leader was Vladimir Putin, the “geopolitical wrecking ball.”…

    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Should The Soviet Union Re-Shaped American Foreign Policy?
    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Should The Soviet Union Re-Shaped American Foreign Policy?

    Eisenhower ran his campaign on the premise that he would strengthen the military, but the changing political landscape would lead the President in a slightly new direction. Secretary of State Dulles began to speak against containment, stating it was a defense that could not be successful against an aggressive policy, paving the road towards a more proactive approach in the fight against communism. The author LaFeber (2008) states that upon his return from a trip to Korea in December 1952, the President made it very clear that if an agreement could not be reached quickly the United States might react “under the circumstances of their choosing.” Thus, referring to the use of nuclear weapons. This new approach became known as “brinkmanship” (p.155…

    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of The Cold War
    • 1601 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Pros And Cons Of The Cold War

    War. When looking at the international community war seems to be the one thing we can always count on to be present. The majority of us do not seem to realize that there is always a war going on somewhere in the world. We go on living our cushy lives while people all over the world are suffering. One thing we may not realize is that we are in the midst of a war ourselves. This war has been going on since 1947, and it was thought to have ended in 1991. But did the Cold War really ever end? No it did not. Yes the war between the United States and the Soviet Union that was thought to have ended 24 years ago never really did. Tensions between the United States and Russia have increased gradually since the supposed end of the Cold War, which leads…

    • 1601 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Containment Of US Policy After The Cold War
    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Containment Of US Policy After The Cold War

    In efforts to contain communism, the United States created the Containment Policy. This US Policy was put into effect as response to a series of moves by the Soviet Union to expand and spread throughout Eastern Europe, China, Korea and Vietnam. The doctrine was written by George F. Kennan an American diplomat, in the year 1946. The idea was that if superpower Soviet Union can be contained, Soviet troops would be forced to push back in effort to update their priorities. Four “tools” made the Containment Policy strong enough to prevail and push Soviet troops back, avoiding a third world war and soon ending the Cold War.…

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Flexible Response To The Cold War
    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Flexible Response To The Cold War

    Did you know the Cold War was called the Cold War because of the “icy” relationship between the USA and the Soviet Union. Each president had to deal with the Cold War, but Truman and Eisenhower wanted Communism to be contained while Kennedy wanted flexible response. It all started out with Karl Marx. He created the idea of Communism, which is the theory of everything being publicly owned and workers get paid based off their abilities(Ayers 756). This led to the presidents having to use ideas like containment and flexible response. Containment is stopping the spread of a certain idea created by George F. Kennan(Ayers 819). Flexible response is defending without using nuclear missiles(Ayers 886). Kennedy…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Containment During The Cold War
    • 397 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Containment During The Cold War

    The Cold war has been done and dusted for a little more than two decades, however, its reminiscents are still very active. The attempt to spread communism worldwide was an attempt made during the cold war; Joseph Stalin made that call, America answered. The policy of containment is the reason that communism did not spread and Democracy and Capitalism are still high functioning government systems. Containment is the action of keeping something harmful under control or in check. This is what went on during the Wold War, keeping Communism within limits. The Cold War was essentially democracy and communism at odds. Democracy being free, free trade will and the U.S, and communism being oppressive,lack of private ownership, and the Soviet Union. The United States Portrayed containment through the Korean War, the Long Telegram, and the Berlin Airlift.…

    • 397 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Deterrence Failures
    • 189 Words
    • 1 Page

    Deterrence Failures

    When it comes to deterrence I think that there is a difference between what is expected of the legal system and what the system actually delivers. We need to have deterrence but I don’t think we do a proper job in enforcing it. Paternoster talks about how we use sanction threats as a way to deter crime but it doesn’t change people’s minds. It’s hard to determine how strong of an effect threats can deter someone actions. Whether it’s someone who believes they’ll never be caught or they are thinking irrationally in the first place. We should come up with another form of deterrent instead of always resulting in punishment. Yet the more I read this article the more I begin to believe that deterrence might just be doomed to fail. I did however…

    • 189 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Evaluate the ways in which the United States tried to contain communism (up to 1950)
    • 245 Words
    • 1 Page

    Evaluate the ways in which the United States tried to contain communism (up to 1950)

    The method of military deterrent was not very effective either. It aimed to contain communism through the US's military superiority. This was not effective because the technology was not superior enough not be attained by the USSR. The USSR getting the atomic bomb in 1949 and the h bomb in 1953. Thus the measure of 'scaring' the USSR and thus containing communism was not effective.…

    • 245 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Cold War Impact on Us Foriegn Policy
    • 1553 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Cold War Impact on Us Foriegn Policy

    The mentality of the Cold War greatly affected the decisions made by the Presidents that held the office from 1950 to 1974. The main thought that prevailed from the beginning of the Cold War was containment. It was the main goal of the United States to contain the spread of Communism whenever possible. “Brinkmanship” was the first major policy that was employed by the United States in the effort to stop the spread of Communism throughout the world. President Eisenhower’s Secretary of State John Foster Dulles coined the term “Brinkmanship”, which simply stated means using the military to push things to the brink of war without actually going to war. This was often used to intimidate the Soviet Union into backing down during the early part of the Cold War era. President Kennedy would take a slightly more flexible stance in terms of retaliation should an attack occur. However, it wouldn’t be until President Nixon took office that the metaphorical waters between the US and the Soviet Union would begin to calm.…

    • 1553 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Summary: The Key Factors For Successful Deterrence
    • 261 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Summary: The Key Factors For Successful Deterrence

    The key factors for successful deterrence, is what we will be discussing. Rourke and Boyer describe deterrence, as persuading an opponent not to attack by having enough forces to disable the attack and or launch a punishing counterattack (Rourke and Boyer, 2010, pg. 260). To keep it simple if one is being a deterrence it is meaning that you are trying to convince your enemy that attacking you will not be worth it in the long run. Deterrence has been around for many many years. It has caused many different controversies, issues, and deaths in some cases. People see deterrence in many different ways. Some people are for it while the others are against it. There are many concerns and issues that remain during a successful deterrence.…

    • 261 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics